Of Kings and Queens
by Alice J. Nightshade
Summary: The story of the King and Queen of Arendelle, and their lives before the storm. Struggling to have a family and keep it safe. The pain they faced while their family was broken, the choices they made and the decisions they regret. This is their story, begging the question, what would you do to keep the one you loved the most safe?
1. Something Special

**So, I thought that this would be a little prequel to Frozen, explaining how Elsa's powers came to be and learning more about their parents.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Disney does.**

What would you do to save the person you love?

"Darling?"

The King looked up from his work at the sound of her crystalline voice.

Framed in the doorway, his wife. Her long dark hair was unpinned and fell down to her waist in twisted waves and her eyes were bright despite the dark shadows under her eyes.

You would do anything.

"Idun, what are you-"

"The doctor said that I could leave the bed, at least for a short time." She smiled and took a few steps toward them, though her moves were awkward and hesitant. "I thought-"

"You should be in bed." He stood, pushing his papers away as he rushed to his wife's side. "You shouldn't strain yourself. Not after..."

He couldn't say it. It had happened for the third time and he still couldn't bring himself to say it, to give the cause of tears and hesitant footsteps and whispered prayers a name. He just wasn't strong enough.

But she was.

"It'll be alright." Idun whispered, her fingers twining with his. Her hands were cold. "We can try-"

"No, we can't." They'd had this fight before, but the end result was always the same. "I won't let you go through it again. Three times, Idun. Three times we've lost them. I won't let you get hurt. Not again. I don't want to lose you too."

It was a fear that he'd only admitted to her. The thought that next time she wouldn't make it. The thought that he wouldn't be burying one body, but two.

"I'm not as frail as you think, Adgar." Idun promised. "I'm strong. I..." She dropped her head, her hair covering her face. "I thought this time, it was happening."

"Idun," Adgar pulled his wife close to him as she sobbed. They'd always wanted a family, but it seemed like it was meant to be a distant dream that they could never catch, despite how much they wanted to.

"Why?" Idun whispered, her body shaking with sobs. "Why can't we have a child? What's wrong with me?"

His heart twisted painfully. "It's not."

"It is!" She cried, taking a step back angrily. "I can't have a child. I can't keep it! Why? Why?"

Adgar took a step towards his wife who fell to her knees, arms wrapped around her stomach as if trying to hold herself together.

"Idun, " Adgar whispered, wrapping his arms around her shaking body. "Penelope, I want a child too, I want Arendelle to thrive, but mostly I want you to be happy and well. And if we can't have a child..."

Idun only stared. One of the reasons Adgar loved about his wife was how open her face was. In it, you could see exactly what she was feeling. And right now, she as lost and sad. But more than anything, hopeful.

"Idun," Adgar took a deep breath. He'd been planning on giving her Helena's letter later when she was well, but knew he couldn't put it off. "Your sister's letter arrived this morning."

"Helena?" Her eyes shone with adoration in thought of her sister. "Is something wrong? The baby-"

Adgar flinched at the word baby, but hoped that she hadn't noticed. "She's unwell. The illness, it's taken a toll on her. And-"

Adgar took a deep breath, eyes shut. She'd been through so much, how could he expect her to handle this too?

Idun straightened in his arms. "Tell me. She's my sister, and if you don't I will find the letter myself."

Adgar sighed. "I know. But-"

"Please." Idun whispered.

"The illness is quick. It's rushing through her and the kingdom is in search for a cure, a miracle." Adgar explained. "But, with the illness spreading so quickly."

"She might die." Idun whispered, fresh tears running down her cheeks. "Before they can find the cure? But, what if-"

"Idun," Adgar pulled her tightly towards him. "Relax. Don't get yourself worked up. The doctor said-"

"The doctor can't do anything," Idun said angrily, shaking her head. "He can't save Helena or her baby. He can't help us keep our child, there's nothing he can do. It's hopeless. It's all-"

Her eyes widened and she fell against her husband's chest, taking shallow breaths. Adgar pushed back her hair and his hands burned when he touched her forehead.

"You weren't supposed to strain yourself." He told her, pulling her to her feet. He scooped her up in his arms and she leaned her head against his chest, eyes shut. "Let's get you back to bed."

He carried her to their bedroom quietly. Their room was stripped white, bare. The smell of soap and sharp alcohol sticking floor where the servants had knelt, scrubbing away the blood stains. He set the queen down and tucked her in with the soft downy covers and she grabbed his hand in her small one.

"I won't give up." She whispered, her mouth set in a determined line. "Not on us. Not on her. I won't."

"Neither will I." Adgar promised, pressing his lips softly against hers. "We'll get through this together."

"We will." She nodded, head falling against the pillow and her eyes settling on the window. "Look."

Idun looked, watching as a small bit of snow fell down from the sky in twinkling flakes. "Snow."

"Snow," Idun smiled. "In November."

"Strange," Adgar said, squeezing his wife's hand.

"No," Idun replied. "Something special."

**Due to someone pointing out their canon names, (Thanks!) I changed the King and Queen's names but the story is still the same. Leave me a review and tell me what you think, please!**


	2. Not Again

"How is she?"

Adgar's hands were tight at his sides. The doctor ran a hand through his fair hair and took a shaking breath that seemed to take a hundred years.

"Better." He said, his round glasses shining. "Much better than she was the last time. The color returned to her cheeks and her pulse is strong. She should be leading Arendelle by your side in no time."

"That's," He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "That's good news. Thank you, for everything you've done doctor. I don't think-"

"The pleasure is all mine." The doctor promised, resting a light hand on the King's shoulder. The king was almost never touched, not by anyone but Idun yet he felt oddly comforted by the gesture. "But, your Highness,"

"I know," He interrupted, remembering the doctor's promise. "Don't let her strain herself. Keep her calm and above all-"

"Don't try again."

The words froze in Adgar's mouth. "What?"

"Don't try to conceive again." The doctor's voice was soft. "I'm sorry, but it's my professional opinion that-"

"I told her." Adgar said in a low voice, as if she might hear them. "That we couldn't try again, at least not for a few months, maybe a year but-"

"Sir, she can't go through it again." The doctor urged. "Losing a child, it takes a toll not only on the body but the heart and mind. Next time, she may not recover. It would be best, for Idun's health and mind, if you didn't try again."

There had been times, few times but never the less times, that Adgar had felt there was never enough air in the world. The first time had been when he stood at the altar of the church at his coronation, the second when his father contracted the deadly disease that took his life then his mother's. The last time, was when he held onto Idun's hand and told her I do.

Now, the air was simply gone.

"I understand this is hard to hear." The doctor continued. "And I hadn't told Idun because I thought it would be best for her to hear it from you. She's been asking for you and about her sister. I hear that she isn't doing well either, is that true?"

Adgar hung his head. "No, she's took a turn for the worst. There's talk that the search has grown more feverish, but the queen may not last much longer."

"Your highness," The older man shook his head, burdened by the news. "I am so sorry, not only for your own loss but for the peril that your family is in. But, you must prevail. If not for yourself, but for her." He took his hand back and offered him a solemn smile. "Things will all work out in the end. It's for the best, you see."

"Thank you," The words were hollow.

Adgar let the doctor walk away, not even caring that the polite thing would have been to walk the doctor to the end of the hall, but he knew the man hadn't expected the king to.

Adgar felt his legs go weak and he leaned heavily against the wall, not making the smallest sound as he slid down onto the floor. His legs spread out from beneath him and he held his head in his hands, fingers twisting in his strawberry blond hair.

How could he tell her that they weren't going to have a child? That they couldn't try again? And there was her sister too. He hadn't bothered to tell the doctor, but Idun would know what Adgar wasn't saying. That the people of Corona were growing mad with desperation, their only hope something they'd only heard about in legends or that the king hadn't left his wife's side in days, because if he did he might miss her when she-

If, Adgar corrected himself. If. There was always a chance wasn't there? That's always what Idun had said. Always a chance.

Except of course, now.

Adgar stood, his body shaking with silent tremors. He looked at their bedroom door mournfully, not ten feet away.

I've got to tell her. One of the things that made him a great king was that he tried to do what was best for his people. But he wouldn't tell her as a king, he was telling her as his husband.

He raised his knuckle on the wood, ready to knock when he heard her faint voice.

"I think it was a boy."

"A boy?" Adgar recognized Lillia's voice, one of the servants that always came to Idun's needs after the visits. "Why do you say that?"

He could picture them both in the room, Idun resting on the bed, her face the same white as the silky pillows that propped her up, Lillia worrying around her, getting her tea and patting the bed.

"He was strong." Idun explained. "He didn't flutter, he kicked. Hard. He," She paused, taking a hitching breath. "He would've been an athlete I think."

Lillia tsked. "It doesn't do good to dwell on things like that, your highness. Perhaps you should rest more or-"

"I'm done with resting," Idun sighed. "I don't need rest. I need strength."

"Your highness," Lillia started.

"No," Idun was determined. "I-I can do it. I know I can. I just have to keep trying. I can't give up now. I-"

She broke off, sobbing. Her voice hiccupping with desperate breath.

Adgar wanted to run to her, to pull her in his arms and whisper that things would be fine, but he knew that would have been a lie.

"Your highness?"

Adgar jumped, as a servant started up at him, eyes nervous.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"

"No, Gavin. I-" He paused, staring down at the things in Gavin's trembling hands. "Flowers?"

"For the queen." The servant explained. "They wish her a swift and speedy recovery. Shall I put them in her room."

"Yes, thank you." Adgar started for a moment then, eyes wide turned and sprinted down the hall.

"Your highness!" Gavin exclaimed. "What? Where are you going?"

"To the library," The king called over his shoulder and disappeared around the corner.

He wasn't giving up, not yet anyway.


End file.
